The Hunt For Digital Finnish Folk Ends: Other Music MP3 Store Finally Opens

April 23, 2007

Other Music’s digital-download store finally opened today. As with anything still in beta, there’re a few momentary cons, chiefly that the site loads really slow. But it’s the Other Music brand, so there’re plenty overwhelming pros: DRM-free 320kbps MP3s for only 12 cents more a track than iTunes; a Hype-Machine-like streaming feature where you can preview long clips of entire records, instead of having to click on each track separately to preview entire albums; the kind of completely unpronounceable catalogue you’ve come to know and lisp from Other Music: Islaja’s Ulual yyy, Neoangin & Psoy Korolenko’s Gonki, Kuusumun Profeetta’s Riemun ja kurjuuden sälekaihtimet. Full-length prices seem to fluctuate from between $9.99 (Neon Bible) and $14.99; for example, the 24-track bundle of Kompakt Total 6 is $12.99.